Drank under the DuBois alias 1-27-12. Pours a golden straw. Smell is Chardonnay, oak, and some acidity. Taste is very geuze-like with notes of apple cider, jp bambic and light fruits. Strong carbonation, but light and very drinkable.

"A nice, bright saison, with a nice spice (rye) and hop balance, and a definitely dry brett thing going on, especially in the aroma, though the dryness in the aftertaste is apparent as well. Very enjoyable."

I was just telling Deuane I really wanted to try this one and the very next day Kramer brings an unlabeled bottle to Ffej of July IX!

A - Pours slightly hazy golden yellow with a nice bright white one finger tall white head leaving little to no lacing down the glass.

S - Tons of barnyard brett throughout this one to go along with hints of lemon peel, wheat, a touch of spice from the rye, and a tiny bit of earthy hop bitterness. Very nice nose.

T - Starts off with a big dose of funky brett that lingers throughout consumption. Once the brett dies down a bit you can detect hints of lemon, spicy rye, chewy wheat, and a touch of earthy hop bitterness at the very end. Finish is pretty chewy, lingering for a short period of time. Not as good as the nose but still very nice none the less.

M - Light body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Chewy, funky, feel with plenty of it lingering through the finish.

O - Damn, this is one good saison. I had never even heard of this one until last week and when I looked it up I instantly knew I had to track down a bottle for myself and then Kramer just happens to bring one to the party and boy am I glad he did. Excellent stuff for sure.

Bottle sampled 3/15/14Lightly hazy bronze-yellow body is topped by a fluffy white head with strong retention.Tons of band-aid and limey brett goodness in the nose with a touch of bready malt and light citrus. Soft lactic acid in the background. Nice and strong and perfumey and no alcohol or flaws. Not intensely funky or anything, given the bugs, but regardless, smells very inviting.Moderate brett acids are pretty well controlled and give a moderately tart, floral flavor that is backed by light pils malt sweetness. Light on the breadiness and acidity, making it quite drinkable. Natural carbonation is fairly tight, keeping the body mostly light. Saccharormyces yeast flavors are still dominant or at least co-dominant with the brett and lacto. Really nice brett saison, nothing incredibly crazy but very delicious. Havent had a MK in about 6 years. Glad to see they are still kickin ass!

Flavor is like a hefeweizen meets a funky saison, nice! Belgian yeast with zest, wheat based backbone, lightly tart lemons, musty basement, dusty apricots, old Brett. Carbonation is still able to provide a nice effervescent mouthfeel. Really nice treat to help reset my palate after a ton of stouts and sours. Damn refreshing!

Huge thanks to Josarah for the share on this bottle. Ive been really wanting to try this for a long time. Really funky, musty, and dirty like I like my saisons, Yeasty muddled lightly tart with tons of pear and some grapes. Awesome!

UPDATED: MAR 17, 2014 Wow this is awesome, tons of saison flavors great flavors, this is amazing I love it. This is the bottle version with all the bugs in it. The saison is still balanced after all that time. ginger, licorice flavors, high carbonation. Great stuff.

Label: McKenzie (yellow/golden label background) Saison Vautour (du bois)
ABV 7%
Bottle 90/372
Wax: Gold
Received this beer quite some time ago, and am only now cracking it. Upon pulling the crown, only a small audible pfft, then a few seconds later a steady foam rolled from the neck. Oddly, as I poured the beer, only a few seconds later, there was only a small sheet of white over the diaphanous, toasted straw ale. Nose fulls of straw, soil, funk, wisps of grass and a little must. Flavor has the slightest lactic tartness to it, a good hop bitterness and plenty of dry, crisp barnyard funkiness. This is a step above most saisons and I wish Pixieskid was here to enjoy - this is right up his alley I believe (sorry brandon, was gonna open while you were here, just didn’t get to it). Medium on heavy body with light carbonation and a dry finish. The dryness of the finish is balanced with a subsequent watering stemming from the acidity.
Really a great beer, and if I could, I would buy this regularly. Truly one of the best saisons I’ve come across.
Serving type: bottle
03-08-2012

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